Degenerative Myelopathy Symptoms - Page 2

sometinmes an experienced vet can take a look at your dog and qualitatively and quantitatively make a a pretty accurate intellectual estimation that your dog does have DM -- it is diifernet than a dog with anteroir /posterior crutiate igamnet tear -- the locomotion for one is differnet -- what i have seen is almost a sliding of one or more of the legs due to the nerve sheath degeneration / as opposed to the dopg being uncomfortable in lifting the leg to plave -- also many ortho vets can almost highly suspect an ACL tear by pulling/ feeling/ extending the leg in addtion to observing gait -- i would like to pose a question __ i have seen this more often presently in GSDs tyhan i have seen hip dysplasia --- does anyone have any statics as to how this disease compares to HD prevelence -- i know there is a specific web site for it -- i will try search engines myself -- lastly -- does anyone feel that the over prevelence of line breeding is contributing drastically to the increased incidence of DM and if so -- personally i would like to see imn ALL COUNTRIES a rule that states you may have no more than two line breedings inclusive of dam and sire sides in a 7 generation pedigree in order for the progeny to be regiserable -- aside from the money mongers -- is there anyone else for this ?? [ of course i must be fooling myself becuase we all know it is the line breeding upon which all those greedy breeders want the goose that laid the golden egg , VA-1]- meanwhile i have never seen such an unhaelthy breed to which the GSD is hea+ding !!

teresa, i just put my 16 year old nanto son down because of this. it started about 24 months ago, and just now got to the point where i couldn`t stand to watch him pull himself around by his front legs. ( this was 2 -3 weeks ago )i assumed he had arthritis when it first started. he would wobble and just started to drag his foot. i had him on rimadyl. i don`t know if this prolonged it, but it seemed to help him. then, the last 6 month`s it hit hard. he chewed a spot of hair off on his hind quarter, this is the nerves dying. to them, it feels like there hair is "out of place". it grew back, he could walk still, slight wobble, then within 2 months, he just could not move his back legs. it is like ms in a person. the dog is in no pain, but it`s terrible for me. there`s a couple good links on the internet that explain the stages real well.

Take Dogbyte's advice, Sheesh. Dr. Clemmons is THE DM expert. Contact him about you dog, and have the "Flash" test done. I'm afraid AlphaPup has a valid point, the breed does not seem to be a very healthy one. If it's any consolation, the heatlh of purebred dogs in general seesm to be declining. The gene pools are shrinking due the popular sire syndrome; everyone wants puppies sired by the big player of the year and that doesn't always add up to the best gene pool. DNA identification of carriers of lifethreatening diseases seesm to be the hope for the future for many breeds. We humans sure do know how to screw up a good thing.

Blitzen -- i hope you are a breeder of the GSD -- you seem, to be level headed , conscientious , sincere and honest !! only to share -- i have many VA progeny [ as well as working line too ] -- i have proefessional friends that have bred GSD for yuears but no longer even want to own one never mind breed the GSD again -- very diificult for me to debate about canines with them -- so far i have had VA progeny : soft ears on several occasions that did not go up or i had to tape , pancreatic insufficiency , another female not able to concieve , one female not displastic but the alignment of the hips not anatomically correct , another pup at 8 weeks old aortic stenosis and an A-V shunt Dx by ultrasound , : these dogs were either imported or bought in germany -- - the pups all showed promise -- i know what i am looking at on the outside ..and the breeders had no ill-intentions . these health problems are from dogs that were 1x or 2x sigers or progeny that had VA-1 on dam and sire side ?? -- So frequent forum members -- can you see why i am so opposed to redundant line breeding -- not only that --- having a medical background and having the GSD my whole life -- i will argue with even the best of the best breeders in any country about genetics -- they may have notoriuos kennels .. but i have the results of the ailments of the GSD to state/defend my platform-- surprising how no one person has seconded my suggestion in my last post -- and just for the record --for those that say it cannot be done --- i have a working line dog , rated V in structure mated with a Larus V. Batu daughter V-rated also ... the pups have great sound temperament ,very very good structure and reasonably good pigment exceptional working propensity and stress levels , about 15 weeks old already past rag work and onto tug bite --three are doing french ring sport- they will not make the big time shows but are more than a representation of what a GSD should be -- as a of fact -- they seem similar to Germany's 1960's VA-1 Lierburg .God willing since this is an outcroos they will stay healthy -- my last out cross-litter before this was sold-out the day they were born --1 day - i hope the GSD fares better in the future

There is no available single DNA test for markers of multiple genetic diseases. People are unlikely to routinely use Dr Clemmons' DNA test for DM unless they already suspect early symptoms of DM. Consequently, the genetic damaged may already be done by the time these DM signs are first observed--because, for the most part, DM tends to be a disease of the older dog. For example, my old bitch (part German--part American--whelped in 1967) had produced 5 litters before she developed DM in her 16th year. Her brother was 12.5 years old when he was euthanized with DM. I truly suspect that most GSD's which live to be of really advanced years will eventually develop DM--unless they die of something else first (or, worse, are sold to the Chinese fur traders).

louise - o would be interested in the age and prevelnce of dogs with MD -- i didn't list in my previuos posts that i also had a female that developed DM-- but i could not be dishaerted becuase she was 12.5 yeas when the fiorst symptoms appeared -- at abpout 11.5 years she could run and almost keep up with any of the younger dogs and held her rank in the pack -- even humans develop ailments in the golden years .. most people don't ralize the average life expectancy for the GSD is 12.5 years -- you may be entirely correct that most DM occurs later in the GSD ?? but then again i have known anumber of cases that it occurred much earlier --- you have my curiosity - again ?? stats on age preference

Alphapup, I don't breed GSD's and after 37 years have retired from breeding and showing another working breed. At one time I thought I might look for a good GSD bitch, but after learning about all the titling, etc I decided I was actually too old, too lazy and too poor to ever be able to accomplish any of that stuff LOL. Also, I never had the best luck finding decent homes for puppies; I took back around 1/4 of all the dogs I've ever bred. I'll let the breeding to the experts like you and when I want another GSD I'll just buy one. That's a lot easier for a person like me LOL. I think you can heard similar conversations in most all breeds regarding the lack of healthy breeding stock. IMO the GSD is far more fortunate than many other breeds as they still do have dogs they can use to outcross and bring in new blood and expand the gene pool here in the US. I don't have a big problem with linebreeding or even the occasional inbreeding, but there will always be a need for a complete outcross. Anyone who has dealt with unheatlhy dogs would probably agree that health is number one and without healthy dogs, drive, conformation, show records, etc are really not of much importance.

Thank you all very much for your advice and experience, I truly hope that it is not DM, but I am definitely concerned. I am calling tomorrow for an appt. with my vet and we will go from there. I am sure that I will let you know what happens. I will keep Dr. Clemmons in mind if things turn out for the worse. Thanks again, Theresa

I soke with a Vet at the University of Minnesota and he said that there is a vet in florida I think at the University who he had read about who had found gentic marker that can be tested for unlike the post mortum example.

Good luck, Theresa. BTW I have a friend with an American line GSD that recently tested positive with the Flash test and her bitch is only 4 years old. Not the normal for sure, but it can happen. Since this was her second GSD with DM, she recognized the symptoms earlier than most of us probably would have.